Friday, December 9th

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that David Reynolds, co-founder of Reynolds & Buckley, suffered a fatal heart attack in his London family home on Saturday, December 7. David spent the last 30 years helping non-profits around the country revolutionize their approach to fundraising auctions. He was a visionary and he was larger than life. We are all better for having known him.

Personal Wine, a leading provider of high-end customized wine, has partnered with the American Bar Association (ABA), one of the world's largest professional organizations, to create a program that provides ABA members with the ability to create personalized wine at an exclusive 15 percent discount.

New York-based TIAA-CREF (the initials stand for Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and College Retirement Equities Fund) owns more than 20,000 acres of vineyards, which in turn produce grapes for more than 190 vintners, including Stag's Leap, Cakebread Cellars, Robert Mondavi, Sutter Home, and others.

The reinvention of the wine professional has resulted in a new brand of next-gen swagger, complete with a revamped lexicon and liberal arts degree. Francis Percival tracks the American transition from "sommelier" to "somm."

Growers, winery owners and those interested in the business will benefit from the wide selection of topics at the Michigan Grape & Wine Conference Feb. 26-28, 2014 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Mich.

State prosecutors have portrayed alleged fine wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan as a greedy individual who funded his taste for fast cars by baiting collectors into buying 'phony knock-offs', but defence lawyers argued that their client has been unfairly victimised.

Chinese wine consumption is at an all-time high, and Chinese wines are becoming more sophisticated (okay, relatively). Unfortunately, so are wine counterfeiting rings, who've evolved beyond churning out bootlegs with hilariously incorrect names on the label, and are now pulling counterfeit jobs that would put Frank Abagnale Jr. to shame.

Called Kukeri Wines, its first release is a Mt. Veeder (Napa Valley) 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. The brand's concept, which has directed its striking label design, is to highlight ancient tradition using the original artwork.

Village trustees voted unanimously Monday to refer an expansion of the Central Business District's regulations that would allow urban wine, spirit or beer-making operations within the district to the village planning board.